Young Obito Uchiha watched as Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi disappeared into the distance.
"Hey! Is he just leaving that subordinate named Kimimaro behind?!"
Keeping Kimimaro sealed inside a dōjutsu space forever wasn't exactly a solution, right? After all, he wasn't White Zetsu. He couldn't just survive without eating or drinking.
Adult Kakashi said calmly, "We'll keep him contained for now. Once we're back in Konoha, we can decide how to deal with him."
The fight with Kimimaro had made Adult Kakashi keenly aware of how urgent it was to grow stronger.
"That Kimimaro… he's only fifteen, yet he's already reached Kage-level strength."
Young Kakashi replied, "That's because he carries Orochimaru's cursed seal."
Even though Kimimaro was an enemy, Rin felt he resembled the boy named Haku she had often interacted with recently. The difference was that Haku had met Zabuza, while Kimimaro had met Orochimaru.
"That Kimimaro…" Rin said softly. "He probably doesn't have much time left."
During the earlier fight, Kimimaro had clearly been holding back, yet he still couldn't suppress the bouts of coughing up blood. As a medical ninja, Rin could tell from his condition and the thickness of the blood he expelled that he was already at the end of his strength. Even with Tsunade-sama present, his fate might not be reversible.
They themselves were also injured from the battle, so their pace toward Minato Namikaze and Naruto was slow.
"By the way, Obito," Rin suddenly said, "did you know… Itachi's health isn't very good either?"
"Yeah. Didn't we see him coughing up blood a few times back at the old man's place?" Obito recalled. "Though that was also because the old man was just too strong."
Rin nodded. "It seems they're both suffering from issues related to Gekkei Genkai diseases. Itachi's condition is a bit better than Kimimaro's, and while he was with Madara-sama, he received treatment from Uchiha clan doctors. Still, he probably hasn't fully recovered."
Adult Kakashi added, "According to what Minato-sensei mentioned yesterday about the future of another parallel world, in that world Sasuke believed Itachi Uchiha was his enemy all along. After killing Itachi, he never returned to Konoha. That means he learned the truth and redirected all that anger and hatred toward Konoha instead."
"That really is a painful future…" Rin murmured.
Young Kakashi said, "Once we return, Minato-sensei will definitely try harder to mediate the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha clan. We'll help however we can."
Obito spoke more quietly. "But no matter what, we can only save our own parallel world. At best, we can try to help change Naruto's world from this point onward."
And yet, Minato-sensei of this world…
At that thought, everyone in Team Minato fell silent.
When they reached the Four Violet Flames Formation, they noticed an unfamiliar young ninja.
"That green light earlier came from him, right?!" Obito said, carefully studying the boy. He looked a bit younger than Obito, around the same age as Naruto and Sasuke.
"My name is Mitsuki. Nice to meet you," Mitsuki said politely. "What you saw earlier was my Sage Mode state. But because my health isn't very good, my family usually forbids me from using Senjutsu for long periods of time."
Wow…
He was polite, answered everything directly, and explained himself clearly.
No matter how you looked at it, this kid's upbringing was impeccable.
Wait—Senjutsu?!
The members of Minato's team stared at Mitsuki in shock.
"You're only twelve, right? And you can already use Senjutsu?!"
"Yes." After answering, Mitsuki paused to think seriously. "So… not everyone is born knowing how to use Senjutsu?"
"..."
Excellent manners, but why did it feel like he lacked the most basic common sense?
Minato said apologetically, "I'm sorry that you were summoned to this world because of us. But based on previous experiences, it shouldn't take long before you return to your original time."
"It's fine," Mitsuki replied calmly.
Sakura hesitated, then asked, "But if you suddenly disappear, won't your parents worry? They'll search everywhere for you, and when they finally find you, they'll probably scold you badly."
She couldn't help thinking of her own parents. She usually found them nagging, but after living together with everyone at Kakashi-sensei's hometown, she realized she actually missed them sometimes.
Mitsuki thought for a moment, then smiled.
"It's fine. My parents usually aren't with me anyway. He's very busy and has a lot of experiments to do. I live on my own in Konoha, but recently our family gained a new member—Mikazuki."
"Mikazuki?"
"A kitten."
Having been defeated by Kabuto and finally regaining consciousness under Rin's Medical Ninjutsu, Shizune walked over.
"What a gentle child. Given your age, shouldn't we also know your parents?"
Speaking of that…
Everyone really was a little curious.
Tsunade cut in at once.
"Hey, Shizune, don't ask that. If revealing the future too early prevents this child's parents from ever getting together, such a wonderful child might never exist in our future."
"It's okay~" Mitsuki said with a bright smile, casually dropping a piece of information that instantly sent everyone's curiosity soaring. "You all know my parents."
"Huh?!"
Both Team Minato and Team Kakashi looked stunned. Even Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, and Dan Katō and Nawaki inside the Four Violet Flames Formation turned to look.
Naruto widened his eyes and stared hard at Mitsuki.
Like a detective, he began analyzing out loud.
"Hmm… really good manners, clothes kind of look like a certain clan's style, soft-spoken and gentle…"
After thinking it through, he reached a conclusion—
"Your mom wouldn't happen to be Hinata Hyūga, would she?!"
"..."
Everyone else looked to Mitsuki as well, waiting for confirmation.
This time, even Mitsuki's smile was starting to falter.
Sasuke snapped, "Idiot! The Hyūga clan, like the old Uchiha clan, practices marriage within the clan. Look at his eyes. They aren't Byakugan."
"Oh, right." Naruto started going through the boys of his own generation again.
Neji was immediately crossed out, for the same reason as Hinata.
Chōji? He shook his head. No, Mitsuki didn't look fat at all.
Shikamaru? No way. With Shikamaru's personality, whether he'd even find a wife in the future was questionable.
Kiba? Definitely not. There was no dog with him.
Besides, a guy as dumb as Kiba probably wouldn't find a wife anyway.
Shino? Naruto tried imagining Mitsuki wearing tiny sunglasses…
He shook his head again. Still didn't feel right.
Finally, throwing caution to the wind, he blurted out, "Then could your dad be Sasuke?"
"Are you stupid?!" Sasuke exploded. "He literally just called me 'Sasuke-san'! How could it be me?! And while we're at it, it can't be you either! He calls you the Seventh Hokage, not 'Father'! Idiot!!"
"Hey, don't get so worked up, I'm just lightening the mood," Naruto said. "That fight was super tense, you know. Relax a little, relax a little, idiot Sasuke."
The battle had just ended, and everyone was still wound tight.
Dan Katō and Nawaki were still inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, and the sadness from their farewell lingered in everyone's hearts.
Standing off to the side, Mitsuki looked a bit awkward. He decided to speak directly.
"About my parents… didn't you all just see them?"
"..."
"Huh?"
Adult Kakashi frowned slightly. "We saw them just now?"
"You're not saying you're the child of one of us, are you?!" Naruto exclaimed.
Minato Namikaze shook his head lightly. "No. I think he means they appeared earlier, but aren't here anymore."
Someone who appeared earlier, but wasn't here now…
Sakura said shakily, "Don't tell me it's Kabuto? Oh my god… can someone like that really raise such an adorable child?!"
"No, not really," Mitsuki said with a smile.
Even though it felt unlikely, Obito made one last desperate guess.
"Kimimaro?"
Mitsuki smiled gently.
"My parent is Orochimaru."
"Whaaaaaat?!!!"
Everyone shouted at once, Jiraiya's scream especially ear-splitting.
"Orochimaru?!!"
It felt as if everyone had been struck by a blow straight to the soul.
After finally recovering, Nawaki looked at Mitsuki and asked in disbelief.
"You really are Orochimaru-sensei's child? You don't look much like either the Orochimaru-sensei from before or the Orochimaru-sensei now!"
"No, now that you mention it," Jiraiya said blankly as he stared at Mitsuki. "This kid actually does look a lot like Orochimaru when he was young. The face, the vibe, all of it."
"Are you serious, Pervy Sage?" Naruto blurted out. "Did someone swap Orochimaru out while he was growing up?! I just can't imagine that creep looking anything like him!"
Jiraiya continued staring at Mitsuki, clearly still trying to process the shock.
He had just fought Orochimaru moments ago. The idea that that man could have a child, and such a well-behaved one at that, was completely beyond him.
The jealousy hit hard.
"I… I just have to ask," Jiraiya stammered. "Your mother is…?"
"Orochimaru," Mitsuki replied, smiling innocently.
That answer nearly knocked everyone flat.
Had Orochimaru finally gone all the way and done something like that?!
"Then… then your father is…?" Tsunade asked, utterly unable to imagine who else it could be.
"Also Orochimaru," Mitsuki said cheerfully. "I'm an artificial human created through genetic engineering."
"An artificial human?!"
The future was almost too unbelievable. Had children really begun to be born this way?!
"No," Sasuke suddenly said. "According to the information we had earlier, I should have already killed Orochimaru. How could he still leave behind a child in the future?"
"He's very hard to kill," Mitsuki replied calmly. "He always has many ways to revive himself. He's a man who's extremely afraid of death."
Even while saying that, Mitsuki's tone remained soft and gentle, completely different from Orochimaru's usual style.
That contrast only made it harder to imagine what Orochimaru had once been like.
After resting for a while, it was time to start thinking about what to do next regarding Dan Katō and Nawaki.
Minato Namikaze said, "Orochimaru has already left this place. But to be safe, I'll first seal both of your chakra with Fūinjutsu. After that, please come back with me. Captain Yamato will use Wood Release to restrict part of your mobility, and you'll stay within our surveillance range for the time being."
"Really?!" Nawaki brightened immediately. "Can I sneak back to Konoha and take a look? I really want to see what Konoha looks like now!"
Dan Katō didn't say anything, but the same longing was written all over his face.
They both loved that village deeply, every street and every smiling face within it.
"That shouldn't be a problem." Minato Namikaze instructed the others to withdraw and stay alert. He then prepared to work with Jiraiya, each of them taking responsibility for sealing Dan Katō and Nawaki.
The group left the inn and returned to Kakashi's old family home.
Adult Kakashi let out a sigh. "This place is starting to feel more and more like a guesthouse." Not long ago, Might Guy and the others had even joked about calling it a missing-nin inn.
Worried that he might lose control and hurt Konoha's people, Dan Katō voluntarily requested to stay at Captain Yamato's so-called "missing-nin guesthouse," and Nawaki naturally went with him.
With the two of them around, Tsunade also put her gambling habits aside for the time being, focusing instead on dealing with her brother and boyfriend in their Edo Tensei state.
Mitsuki, who couldn't return yet, stayed at Kakashi's old house with Naruto and the others. Training alongside the Seventh Hokage in his childhood made him realize just how lazy his own generation could be when it came to training.
They would rather play games, hang out at burger joints, or spar casually in front of general stores than train seriously. By contrast, the genin of this era spent almost all their time, outside of missions and daily life, working hard. Without realizing it, Mitsuki found it interesting and joined in their training as well.
Over on Jiraiya's side, he was thoroughly sick of being force-fed affection every day. He had originally wanted to suggest heading to Amegakure, but after hearing the intelligence Minato Namikaze brought back from the future, he was firmly told by Tsunade and the others to take a longer-term approach.
To avoid the constant emotional damage, Jiraiya moved into the Third Hokage's residence, claiming it was for close protection.
"It's really getting lively around Kakashi-sensei's place," Naruto said during a break in training.
Sakura replied, "Isn't that a good thing? Sensei doesn't seem as gloomy as before."
"Hmm…" Kakashi suddenly appeared behind them. "So that's how you used to see your teacher? That really hurts."
"Ah! Kakashi-sensei!!" Naruto jumped in shock.
Sasuke shot Kakashi an annoyed look. "Why are you scaring them? What do you want?"
"Well," Kakashi said, "I was asked to remind you to get ready. Tsunade-sama's hemophobia has been cured."
"Huh?!!" Naruto froze. "But I haven't done anything yet!"
"It seems Tsunade-sama's fear of blood came from unresolved emotional knots in the past. Now that those regrets and knots have been completely untied, her hemophobia naturally disappeared as well."
Naruto pulled out his mission scroll.
[Mission Rank: A]
[Mission Objective: Cure Tsunade-sama's hemophobia.]
[Mission Status: Completed]